Understanding GPA
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is the primary way UNC Charlotte tracks your academic progress. Understanding the difference between your performance in a single semester and your overall record is key to maintaining Good Academic Standing as well as Financial Aid eligiblity.
Term vs. Cumulative GPA
It is important to distinguish between these two numbers, as they tell different stories about your academic journey.
- Term (aka Semester) GPA: This is the weighted average of the grades you received during one specific semester (fall, spring, or summer). It is weighted by the number of credit hours you attempted in a given semester.
- Cumulative GPA: This is the weighted average of all the grades you have earned at UNC Charlotte. It is weighted by the number of credit hours you have attempted at UNC Charlotte and does not include the credit hours or grades you have transferred into the university.
How to Use the GPA Calculator
You can project your future standing by using the GPA Calculator. There is also a GPA calculator available in DegreeWorks. The DegreeWorks calculator is very easy to use and a good resource for most purposes. However, it does not allow you to run all of the potential scenarios that could impact your academic standing, so this site will walk you through the steps to use the version with the most flexibility.
Step 1: Gather your data.
Log into my.charlotte.edu > select Student Self Service from the Student Quick Links menu > select Student Profile > choose Unofficial Transcript from the left-hand menu. Scroll toward the end of your Unofficial Transcript until you find the section titled “Transcript Totals”. You’ll need the GPA Hours and Quality Points for the institution.
Step 2: Calculate a Term GPA.
In the top square of the GPA Calculator, add the courses you are taking, the number of credit hours each course is worth, and the grade you expect to receive. Do not include courses where you expect a W or WE. These will count as “attempted hours” but are excluded from all GPA calculations.
Step 3: Calculate a Cumulative GPA.
Enter the current totals for GPA Hours and Quality Points from your unofficial transcript into the cumulative GPA section of the GPA Calculator. From here you’ll be able to change your project grades in the current term to see how your cumulative gpa will move based on those grades.
GPA and Academic Standings
Your GPA determines your academic standing at Charlotte. For a full explanation of Academic Standing, check out our summary at this link.
| Cumulative GPA | Term GPA | Academic Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Greater than 2.0 | Greater than 2.0 | Good Academic Standing |
| Greater than 2.0 | Less than 2.0 | Academic Standing Warning |
| Less than 2.0 | Less than 2.3 | If it is the first semester a student’s cumulative GPA is below a 2.0, then their academic standing is Academic Probation. If it is the second consecutive semester a student’s cumulative GPA is below a 2.0, then their academic standing is Academic Suspension. |
| Less than 2.0 | Greater than 2.3 | If a student was on Academic Probation in their previous semester, their cumulative GPA stays below 2.0 for the second consecutive semester, but their term GPA is a 2.3 or higher, then their academic standing is Continued Probation. |
GPA “Reset” Options
- Grade Replacements: UNC Charlotte allows students to replace up to two grades (up to 8 credit hours) under the Grade Replacement Policy. There is a detailed description of the policy at the link. To see how a grade replacement would impact the GPA calculations you made above,
- Enter the new grade in the top section of current courses
- Subtract the number of credit hours the course is worth from the total GPA hours number in the bottom section (e.g. 15 GPA Hours before the Grade Replacement minus 3 hours for the course whose grade you are planning to replace equals 12 GPA Hours).
- Subtract the quality points of the other grade from the total quality points section in the bottom section. To get the quality points, multiply the grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) by the number of credit hours the course is worth, (e.g. a C in a three credit hour course would be 2 x 3 = 6 quality points).
- Academic Forgiveness: If you have been away from the University for a qualifying period, you can return with a recalculated GPA based only on previous courses where you earned a C or higher. To learn more, check out the explanation of Academic Forgiveness at this link.
Need help planning your GPA recovery?
We recommend using the GPA Calculator to see exactly what grades you will need this semester to return to Good Academic Standing. If you have questions about your academic standing, would like to enroll in an academic support program focused on academic recovery, or need help drafting a petition or appeal to address past grades or academic standing, you can schedule a consultation by emailing successful@charlotte.edu.